Final answer:
Patients with a faulty Von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein have an increased susceptibility to cancer due to impaired degradation of hypoxia/angiogenesis transcription factors, leading to overactive angiogenesis and evasion of apoptosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor and Cancer Susceptibility:
The Von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor is an E3 ubiquitin ligase, which plays a critical role in the degradation of hypoxia/angiogenesis transcription factors. If this protein is faulty, it can lead to an increased susceptibility to cancer. This is because the degradation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF) is impaired, leading to their accumulation and the subsequent overexpression of genes that promote angiogenesis and cell survival. This dysfunction promotes the growth of tumors since the cells can receive an increased blood supply and evade programmed cell death. Moreover, the normal tumor-suppressing functions, such as arresting the cell cycle and promoting DNA repair, are compromised in the presence of a faulty Von Hippel-Lindau protein.
Therefore, for a patient with a faulty Von Hippel-Lindau protein, the correct answer is: a) Increased susceptibility to cancer.